Goat Cheesecake with Fresh Lemon Curd and Berries

Another recipe for your Christmas enjoyment. (just wait until Purim comes along) Here is the recipe I mentioned in my goat cheese making posts. If you find a source for goat (or other) milk, you can make your own cheese, if you can find a source for goat cheese, even better.

Goat Cheesecake with Fresh Lemon Curd and Berries


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, plus 4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sour cream
12 ounces Goat cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or other sweet liqueur)
2 cups fresh lemon curd (recipe follows)
2 cups macerated (brandied) berries

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with the tablespoon of butter.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter and graham cracker crumbs together.
• Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in 1 cup sour cream, Goat cheese, and sugar.
• Beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add the vanilla and lime juice and continue to beat until the batter is full incorporated and smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the center is set.
• Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Run a knife around the sides of the pan and remove the cake from the spring form.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining sour cream and Grand Marnier.
• Spread the mixture over the top of the cake.
• Using a hot knife, (or dental floss) slice the cake into 16 slices, wiping the knife after each cut.
• Serve the cake with the lemon curd and macerated (brandied) berries

Lemon Curd
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
1 1/2 cups sugar 6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar.
2. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until it has melted.
3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. Beat eggs into cooled lemon mixture until well blended.
5. Return to heat and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats spoon.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Store in refrigerator.

How to macerate fruit:
Put fruit in a glass (metal will react) bowl and pour just enough liqueur to cover and let it sit for at least and hour, preferably over night. Then drain fruit to use in recipes. My mom would eat her brandied apricots all the time as a treat.

I've read that golden raisins soaked in gin until the liquid evaporates, will help arthritis, eat about 9 a day. It has something to do with the juniper berries used to flavor the gin.